Hands, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
by Oneturtledove
Summary: Palm to palm, head tipped, aching joints and gentle touches. No wonder they're best friends.


Disclaimer: nada

Spoilers: nada

A/N: Doesn't it make you want to sing? Eyes and ears and mouth and nose....

* * *

They'd been stuck at the airport for three hours now, and these plastic seats were getting mighty uncomfortable. Scully shifted around, rolling her neck until it popped. Mulder gave her a disapproving look then went back to his magazine. He always seemed to have insane amounts of reading material, while she finished off a medical journal in less than an hour. She glanced over at him and ate another Swedish Fish, willing him to look at her. He didn't. She patted his leg until he sighed and looked down at her.

"What?"

"Let's play a game."

"What kind of game?"

"I don't know. An airport game?"

"What's an airport game?"

"I don't know," she grumped, crossing her arms. "I'm bored."

"Coulda fooled me. Want a magazine?"

"What are my choices; three automotive ones, an outdated Time and something about video games?"

"It's not that outdated. Why must you mock my reading material?"

"'Cuz I'm mean."

"Yeah, you're a jerk."

"I'm bored."

He sighed and closed his GQ magazine, putting it in his carryon and surveying the other people in the terminal. There was a group of college basketball players at the far end, a few families scattered around, and a pair of old men about fifteen feet away.

"Found one," he said tipping his head in the direction of the old men. Scully looked so delighted she probably would have clapped had they not been in a relatively quiet airport terminal. It was her favorite game, after all. They usually played it while watching Telemundo late at night in bad hotel rooms, but he figured it would be just as fun here. He cleared his throat and worked up his best old man voice before speaking.

"Well you know I went down to that drug store down there on the corner and I got some Fixodent on sale. Sometimes I can use one application for two days if I play my cards right."

Scully grinned and tried out her own old man voice.

"Yeah I tell ya, I can get a two-for-one on Odor Eaters if I have a coupon. That'll save a lot of money in the long run."

"You ever tried that jock itch cream-"

"MULDER!" she said in her normal voice. "You ruined it!"

She smacked his arm while he laughed. He always ruined it at one point or another.

"Sorry. We could play a different game."

"Like what?"

"I'd rather be getting a tooth pulled than sitting here."

"I love this game. I'd rather be eating cold oatmeal than sitting here."

"I'd rather be having an ice cream headache with no ice cream than sitting here."

"I'd rather eat cereal with no milk than be sitting here."

"I'd rather have Chicklet sized soap in the shower than be sitting here."

"I'd rather fall asleep with gum in my mouth and wake up with gum in my hair than be sitting here."

"I'd rather be hanging out with your brother than be sitting here."

"I'd rather get shampoo in my eyes than be sitting here."

"I'd rather be out of sunflower seeds than be sitting here."

"I'd rather listen to you whine about being out of sunflower seeds than be sitting here."

"That reminds me that I'm actually out of sunflower seeds."

"You could go get some more," she said on a yawn.

"Nah, all the shops are closed. This is what we get for taking the last flight out."

She yawned and rested her head on the back of the chair.

"Next time, we're staying an extra night so we can get some decent sleep."

"They want us to cut back on our spending. They're going to make us share a room."

"Mulder, as long as you don't leave dirty clothes on my side of the room. I don't even care."

He smiled and patted her hand, which was on his armrest. He'd never really looked at her hands before. Small compared to his. Perfectly manicured nails, despite the scalpels and guns she often wielded. He traced his finger over lines on her palm, making mental whooshing noises as he went. The scar on the web of her thumb from carving the turkey a few years ago. The still slightly swollen knuckle on her pinky from when she jammed it last week. He pressed their palms flush and looked at their differences for a moment before sliding his fingers between hers. Their thumbs battled for the most comfortable spot, but in the end, they nestled together, hers much shorter and thinner than his, but just as strong.

She let out a small sigh and he looked down just in time to see her head drift from the back of the chair to his shoulder.

"Wake me if we ever get to get out of here."

"Don't close your eyes yet."

"Why not?"

A voice came over the speaker announcing that their flight would be boarding in a few moments.

"I just got comfortable," she muttered.

"We'll get on the plane and you can have my shoulder again."

"Thanks."

"You didn't even comment on my clairvoyance."

"Ah, you saw the lady walk up there."

He chuckled and stretched a little before standing up. She grunted at the loss of his shoulder and he tugged on her hand.

"Let's get in line or we're not going to be able to sit together."

"I hate open seating."

"Yeah well, it's cheap."

"I hope we can sit in the back," she said, with a yawn.

"Why?"

"If we crash."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ever seen a plane back into a mountain?"

"Scully…"

"Shh. Helps me sleep at night."

He chuckled, glad that her hand was the one he was holding.


End file.
